“All children are born geniuses. The hard part is staying one once you grow up.”
Did you ever wonder how Mr. Lemoncello (of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library) became a creative game-making genius? Well, step right up to this carnival ride of a book filled with radio contests, rebus puzzles, the First Ever Sidewalk Board Game Extravaganza, late-60s nostalgia, literary puns and allusions galore.
Mr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game introduces us to young Luigi, aged 13, smack in the middle of his family of twelve. While he isn’t a straight-A student like his siblings, he is fascinated by games, and those games will be his ticket to fame and fortune. Winning a prize doesn’t motivate him, though. As he tells his friends, “I like the figuring out part best.”
“Step right up to my phantom tollbooth. This is where the wild things are.”
Life isn’t easy for the Lemoncello family, so young Luigi jumps at the chance to work for Professor Marvelmous (“for I am both marvelous and famous”) in his booth at the summer carnival. The Professor becomes the boy’s mentor, teaching him the finer points of a carnival midway as they work his Balloon-Centric game, a combination of dart throwing and rebus-puzzle solving. Marvelmous also shares his wisdom in humorous homilies, which take root and inspire the future puzzle master.
“Just be who you are, Luigi. Everyone else is already taken.”
When he is not manning the Balloon-Centric booth, Luigi spends his summer days solving other puzzles with his friends including a many-layered puzzle box and a series of radio contests. As the friends work together, they build an unstoppable team and vanquish the town bullies. Luigi also discovers that while his talents might be unconventional, they are still valuable.
We are pleased to offer this new Lemoncello adventure. The plot is a bit more streamlined than the rest of the series, making it more accessible for younger students. Children and families will enjoy solving the book’s ingenious puzzles right alongside Luigi and his friends, and the 1968 setting will give students lots to discuss with grandparents. Who remembers Wacky Packages and the TV game show Concentration?
Mr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game can be read independently of the rest of the series, but readers familiar with the series will spot clever references in this new book.
“Keep striving to do things for other people. Not because of why they are or what they might do in return. Do it because of who you are!”
The puzzles, games, and wordplay are lots of fun, but don’t let the carnival atmosphere fool you. This story has plenty of heart, with opportunities for conversations about integrity, honesty, friendship, and family. It is sure to leave your readers cheering for young Luigi and ready to explore more Lemoncello stories.
